Chloe Stepanek, Texas A&M Women Win Tight One to Sweep Kentucky
Two wins by Chloe Stepanek paved the way for Texas A&M to use the final relay to capture a narrow victory over SEC rival Kentucky Thursday night.
The 22nd-ranked Aggies needed a 1-2 finish in the concluding 200 free relay to claim a 154-146 upset of No. 12 Kentucky in College Station. The men’s meet was settled earlier, No. 14 Texas A&M capturing a 177-111 decision.
The Aggies were behind from the start, with Kentucky launching a 1-2 in the 200 medley relay, aided by Texas A&M getting disqualified. But a 1-2 finish in the 200 free relay sealed the deal. The A quad of Olivia Theall, Bobbi Kennett, Joann Adler and Manita Sathianchokwisan got the win in 1:32.07, and the B team edged Kentucky’s A by .02 seconds, thanks in large part to Hadley Beeson’s 23.14 split on the second leg.
Stepanek helped Texas A&M make up ground early. She won the 200 free in a tight race with Kentucky’s Izzy Gati, edging her by a half-second in 1:47.65. Third in that race was Abby Grottle, who came back just minutes after winning the 1,650. Grottle also won the 500 free in a sensational race with Gati, edging her by .17 seconds.
Stepanek was second in the 50 free to Sathianchokwisan, then led a 1-2 with Kennett in the 100 free. Theall won the 200 fly and 100 fly, the latter in 53.09 to just edge out Kentucky’s Caitlin Brooks. Charlotte Longbottom outtouched Davey to win the 100 breast with Kennett third. Alyssa Clairmount bested Kyndal Knight of Kentucky by 2.33 points to win 3-meter diving, then she finished third with teammate Joslyn Oakley third in a 1-meter event were five points spread the top three. Kentucky’s Claire McDaniel won that event with a score of 315.38.
Kentucky’s biggest advantage was in backstroke. Brooks, Lydia Hanlon and Torie Buerger swept the podium in both the 100 and 200, Brooks winning in 52.98 and 1:55.05. Gati augmented her runner-up results in the 200 free and 500 free by coming second in the 200 fly. Davey won the 200 breast and second to teammate Lauren Poole in the 400 IM. Grace Frericks was third in both sprint events.
Texas A&M’s men’s team rolled behind its backstroke contingent. Ethan Gogulski, who also led off the victorious 200 medley relay, won the 100 back (48.39) and 200 back (1:47.14). Each was a 1-2-3 sweep, with Tyler Hulet and Thomas Shomper following. (In the 100, Hulet was .07 seconds back, Shomper .23 and Kentucky’s Mason Wilby fourth in 1:47.40).
Andres Puente Bustamante swept the breaststroke events to go with the winning medley relay leg. That relay’s anchor, Connor Foote, won the 50 free and 100 fly. Baylor Nelson won the 200 free and 400 IM, Kaloyan Bratanov claimed the 100 free after having been third in the 200 and Anze Fers Erzen claimed the 200 fly.
Kentucky excelled in the distance events. Levi Sandidge won the mile with teammate Nicholas Caruso second. Caruso then claimed the 500 with Sandidge third. Wilby was also second in the 200 fly. Victor Martin Roig was second in the 200 free and third in the 100 free.
